Family Support

Family Unity and Reunification

Those who have a personal stake in a youth’s life need to play an important role in his or her healthy development. Taylor Diversion Programs is family focused and creates experiences that include youth and their families in the support services offered.

Family/Guardian support through the safe, helpful environment at TDP means:

Personal involvement in all aspects of a youth’s programming

Support continues after the youth re-enters his or her community

TDP believes that family involvement is critical to the success of youth in our care. Our TDP team will maintain regular and extended communication with families/guardians. Parents may be offered opportunities to participate in various aspects of the program.

The Nature of Support Through Mentoring

TDP Youth Mentoring Program

Mentoring is a time proven strategy that can assist youth in any circumstance to achieve their potential. Mentors provide support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement, and a constructive example. TDP offers five types of mentoring:

Traditional One-to-One

Group

Team

Peer

E-mentoring (Online)

TDP recognizes that mentoring is not a one-size fits all proposition; every youth has individual needs and would benefit from a mentoring relationship. Flexibility assists in meeting each mentee’s personal needs. Positive mentoring results when mentors and mentees share a close, trusting relationship. Because relationships and a sense of bonding occur over time between mentors and mentees, the duration and consistency of each mentoring relationship is unique.

The Value of Mentoring

According to the Public/Private Ventures Study of Big Brothers Big Sisters, youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class. Additional data suggest that approximately 40% of a teenager’s waking hours are spent without companionship or supervision. Mentors provide teens with a valuable place to spend free time. While the benefits of participating in a mentoring program are limitless, mentoring has the potential to address many critical needs in the life of an at-risk youth. To this end, mentors can help youth to:

stay in school and maintain better attendance

improve academic skills

improve self-esteem

strengthen communication skills

prevent substance abuse

prevent teen parenthood

reduce negative youth behaviors

improve social attitudes and relationships

set career goals and start taking steps to achieve them

Through its skilled team of certified teachers, trainers, and mentors, TDP is committed to providing a comprehensive mentoring experience that will nurture, enrich, and improve the daily and future lives of all enrolled youth.

“The best help we can offer the youth of today is to prepare them for tomorrow.”Mark W. Boyer

Through our diversion programs, TDP provides experiences that give youth the opportunities they need to increase their chances for success and the necessary skills to better manage their risks through strength enhancement.

What others are saying…

Taylor Diversion Program not only addresses the development of competencies necessary for a successful transition to living independently in the community, but also includes a family component which assists in the rebuilding of relationships between family, caregivers, schools and communities, an area in which most of these youth have ‘broken many bridges’. Mentoring is a critical component of this program which will be an ongoing process throughout the stay.Children and Youth Services Representative

“After visiting the site and hearing the plans you have for TDP, I believe the types of programs and services that you propose to offer will fulfill an important need in the region. The intent of this mentoring program is to help at risk children develop the competencies needed to develop a successful lifestyle and assist in rebuilding relationships between family, caregivers, schools and communities.”Congressman

“I am firmly convinced that having this leadership and mentoring program in our area will have a very positive impact on our students, our schools, and our communities. It is discouraging to witness deteriorating behavior and performance in young people who we know have ample potential, but are not served adequately by the confines of public education. I know that the motivation behind Taylor Diversion Programs is to reach students before they head too far down the wrong path. Even at our small, rural high school, we encounter numerous students that become involved with juvenile probation, placement facilities, and/or incarceration during and after high school. Taylor Diversion Programs will create a scenario where caring adults can have a positive impact in preventing the patterns of negative behavior, rather than reacting to it after the fact.”-Guidance Counselor

Our Mission

TDP provides supportive prevention services for troubled youth and their families by using proven strategies in education, vocation, nature and wellness in order to create stronger, healthier communities.

Our Promise

As TDP grows, we will continue our commitment to exceed the expectations of the populations served; moreover, we will remain committed to treating every youth as family.

Multi-faceted Approach

TDP has created a unique, four-dimensional Prevention/Intervention program for youth:

TDP is a 501(c)(3) organization, fully licensed by PA 3800 regulations to operate a residential independent living program. We also have a private licensed school, through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Lighthouse Island Academy.

BINGO at Taylor Diversion Programs

We now offer BINGO on the 3rd Friday of every month! TDP students and mentors have operated a set of “cash-pay” Bingo games that have attracted many community members, as well as patrons from Tidioute and Titusville.